BUSINESS NEWS

April 5, 2026

Virginia women’s basketball coach fired after investigation over alleged ‘nightmarish’ culture

The University of Virginia fired its head women’s basketball coach, Amaka Agugua-Hamilton, in a shocking move after the Cavaliers made a surprise run to the Sweet 16, though reports suggest a toxic culture had developed within the program. Virginia had been coming off one of the program’s most successful seasons...

April 4, 2026

Columbus City Council Proposes Ticket Fee to Fund Women’s Pro Soccer Expansion

Columbus City Council announced a plan yesterday to raise $25 million to fund the potential expansion of National Women’s Soccer League to Columbus. The proposal, which has been agreed upon by team ownership partners Haslam Sports Group, Nationwide and the The Edwards families, would see the implementation of a two...

April 2, 2026

Julie Foudy, Steve Kerr among new owners in LOVB San Francisco group

A year before the club starts play, the LOVB San Francisco ownership group is expanding with notable names from soccer icon Julie Foudy to Warriors coach Steve Kerr. LOVB announced the expansion club late last year with a women-led group that included Rebel Girls CEO Jes Wolfe, Olympic volleyball medalist Kelsey Robinson...

April 2, 2026

Columbus is betting big on women’s sports — and the payoff is already here

When the Columbus Fury take the court at Nationwide Arena, the energy in the building is hard to ignore. The crowd is loud, the athletes are electric, and the stakes feel real — because they are. The Fury are the newest professional women's team in Ohio, but they're far from...

April 1, 2026

One of the first female referees ‘considered cutting off her hair’ amid discrimination from NFL officials, lawsuit says

One of the NFL’s first female referees said she considered cutting off her hair after league officials allegedly instructed her to style it in a way that would clearly mark her as a woman on the field, according to a new harassment lawsuit. Robin DeLorenzo, a trailblazing full-time on-field official, filed the complaint Friday in Manhattan federal court,...

March 31, 2026

Women’s basketball agency Choice Sports Group launches

Choice Sports Group has launched as a new player‑representation agency dedicated to elevating the next era of women’s basketball by focusing on grassroots and collegiate female athletes earlier and more holistically than traditional firms. Choice Sports Group positions itself as a representation agency built specifically for women’s basketball, emphasizing personalized,...

March 27, 2026

Alexis Ohanian ‘paying US$20m’ for women’s TGL franchise

The tech entrepreneur is the second TGL franchise owner to commit to the women’s competition, joining Atlanta Falcons owner Arthur Blank, who Sportico says also paid US$20 million to secure a team in February. Ohanian has established himself as one of the most prominent investors in women’s sport, with stakes in Women’s Super League...

March 26, 2026

Women’s Performance Brands Oiselle and Wild Rye Launch Collab Collection

Seattle, WA & Sun Valley, ID (March 26, 2026) /SPORTSWIRE WOMEN/ - Women-led active lifestyle and apparel brands, Oiselle and Wild Rye, announced today the launch of a collaborative collection consisting of shared, limited-edition prints featured across each brand’s key Spring styles. The two brands have long led product innovation...

March 25, 2026

US Consumers To Spend More on Wellness, Cut Back Elsewhere

Health and wellness was the only category in which consumers planned to increase their spending in 2026, according to data from CivicScience American consumers entered 2026 in a state of economic uncertainty, which continues to be a key driving force behind spending habits. But even amid financial anxiety, wellness remains...

March 24, 2026

Inside the WNBA’s 8-day, 100-hour CBA marathon negotiations that forged a transformational deal

The intense, all-night negotiations over the WNBA’s collective bargaining agreement were new to many on both sides. The grueling discussions lasted eight days and went well into the early morning hours each session. More than 100 hours were spent hammering out the transformational deal that was agreed to in principle early on...

March 24, 2026

How Much Will the WNBA’s No. 1 Pick Earn in 2026?

The No. 1 pick in the 2026 WNBA draft is still up for debate. What isn’t is the reality that their rookie-scale contract will be more than six times what 2025 No. 1 pick, Paige Bueckers, signed for in her rookie season. Whether it’s Awa Fam, Olivia Miles, or Azzi...

March 23, 2026

Mesirow Arranges $40 Million Private Placement for Denver Summit FC, Marking Milestone for Women’s Professional Sports

Mesirow, an independent, employee-owned financial services firm, today announced today that Mesirow Capital Markets, including CTL and Structured Debt Products and Sale Leaseback Capital, has arranged a $40 million private placement for Denver Summit FC, the National Women's Soccer League's 16th franchise, in one of the first private bond financings completed...

March 20, 2026

Feisty Media Acquires Iconic Women’s Running Brand, Another Mother Runner

/SPORTSWIRE WOMEN/ - In its newest expansion, building on a history of providing space for female athletes of all ages, experience levels, and sports, Feisty Media announced it has acquired the iconic women’s running brand Another Mother Runner. “In an era when running goals and motherhood often seemed at odds,...

March 19, 2026

A new benchmark: WNBA CBA expected to raise pay for other pro women’s sports leagues

After 17 months, the WNBA has agreed to terms on a new collective bargaining agreement and players will be paid more than in any other professional American women’s sports league. It is the latest in a trend of increasing equity for women athletes. In 2022, the U.S. women's soccer team won a $24-million...

March 18, 2026

Lawsuit prompts Marshall to keep women’s swimming and diving

Marshall University dropped plans to eliminate its women's swimming and diving program on Wednesday, citing concerns raised in a lawsuit over compliance questions involving Title IX. The reversal was announced after a special meeting of the Marshall Board of Governors and came a week after a group of swimmers filed...

March 18, 2026

A landmark WNBA labor deal nears reality, paving the way for the first million dollar players

A landmark new WNBA collective bargaining agreement was reached in principle early Wednesday morning that will give the league its first million dollar players. There's still a lot of work to do between now and the start of the regular season on May 8, however. Lawyers on both sides are finalizing the term...

March 18, 2026

WNBA, players union reach tentative CBA agreement after marathon negotiation sessions

The WNBA and its player union reached a tentative agreement on a new collective bargaining agreement after more than a year of negotiations, the league and union announced early Wednesday morning. WNBA commissioner Cathy Engelbert said in a short statement that the two sides had “aligned on key elements of...

March 16, 2026

Ariel’s Project Level Seeks $1 Billion for Women’s Sports

Ariel Investments, the global asset manager, is seeking $1 billion for its first fund focused on women’s sports, according to four people familiar with the situation. In February, Ariel said its Project Level fund had clinched a $250 million first close. The Chicago firm expects to reach a second close in...

March 15, 2026

NWSL: Why US soccer franchises have bespoke women’s football stadiums, and will WSL teams follow suit?

"If a women's football team does not have their own stadium in 10 years' time, they will be at a disadvantage." So says Chris Long, co-owner of Kansas City Current, who have played at the CPKC Stadium for the past two seasons. It is the world's first purpose-built ground for...

March 14, 2026

WNBA commissioner says progress made in collective bargaining talks after another marathon session

WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert said progress is being made towards getting a new collective bargaining agreement done. The two sides met for another marathon negotiating session that started Sunday afternoon and ended around 3 a.m. Monday morning. “We’re working as hard as we can to get it done as quickly...

March 12, 2026

Panini America Unites With The NWSL and NWSLPA For Exclusive Multi-Year Trading Card Partnership

Panini America, the world’s largest sports and entertainment collectibles company, is the new exclusive trading card partner of the National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL) and the NWSL Players Association (NWSLPA). The alliance is a multi-year agreement. Panini will introduce multiple NWSL-related products, including trading card products featuring some of its...

March 12, 2026

National Women’s Soccer League and Front Office Sports Announce Content Partnership

The National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL) and Front Office Sports (FOS), the leading multiplatform media and news organization covering the business of sports, today announced a content partnership that will deliver fans deeper access to the business stories shaping women’s soccer as the league’s popularity continues to rise. Through this...

March 12, 2026

Athlete-built women’s sports media TOGETHXR invests in Sportsish

The deal unites two US female-forward media platforms under one commercial framework – a move that signals growing investor confidence in women’s sports media as a scalable standalone business. TOGETHXR, one of the US’s leading women’s sports media brands, has announced a strategic partnership and equity investment in Sportsish, a social-first...

March 9, 2026

WNBA labor talks intensify as deadline nears, but wiggle room left to start season as planned

WNBA collective bargaining agreement negotiations have intensified as Tuesday’s deadline nears. In March alone, the league and players union have exchanged three CBA proposals, including two over the weekend. No details have been shared on either of the two most recent offers. The lack of details on these offers suggests...

March 9, 2026

Utah private equity deal could boost women’s sports funding, sustain programs

Univ. of Utah President Taylor Randall believes that the university’s pending private equity deal with Otro Capital should “provide a reason to hope for the future of Utah women’s sports,” according to Jason Batacao of the SALT LAKE TRIBUNE. Randall said, “The whole concept is to create a sustainable business model that...